WWE: 10 Wrestlers Loved As Upcomers But Hated Once Popular

5. Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels, like Triple H, is a well-deserved Hall-of-Famer and one of the greatest superstars in the history of sports entertainment. The Showstopper has rightfully earned his place amongst wrestling's greatest names and has been one of the most consistent, innovative, charismatic and well liked superstars in WWE's history. Shawn Michaels has also been an ambassador outside of the WWE, hosting television shows and making appearances across the country. Entering the Hall of Fame in 2011, Michaels capped off a 26-year career during which he helped prove that a main event star didn't need to be 6-1/2 feet tall and 300 pounds-plus. Many of Michaels' accomplishments came in the mid-90s, during a time when Michaels had personal demons that sometimes spilled over into the ring. Demons aside, there were those in the locker room and in the audience that had problems with Shawn's ego and attitude. Though he was having amazing matches during his first WWE Championship reign in 1996, some were tired of his being pushed down the fans' throats, especially after a flare up of his attitude during a match with Vader at SummerSlam that year. Throughout the mid-90s from the dawn of the New Generation well into the Attitude Era, Michaels and his compatriots all had favorable spots, some felt unduly. There were also persistent rumors that he faked an injury in early 1997 to avoid a match with Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13. Also Michaels' involvement in the Montreal Screwjob Though Michaels would excise his demons and enjoy a successful comeback in 2002, staying active for the next eight years, there are still the fans that remember the old Shawn Michaels and never saw his newfound virtues as anything more than an act, nor did they forgive him for his past.